Buckle

ABSTRACT

A buckle having frame and clamping elements including cooperating side flanges which retain the elements in operative alignment. Notches formed in the flanges of the frame element receive trunnions associated with the flanges on the clamping element to support the latter element for general pivotal movement between clamping and releasing positions relative to the frame element. The two elements are retained in assembled relation by a connecting spring which biases the clamping element toward its clamping position.

United States Patent Leavenworth 1 1 Feb. 15, 1972 [54] BUCKLE FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS [72] Inventor: Frederick R. Leavenworth, Wooclbury, 693,115 11/1930 France ..24/191 Conn. 330,808 6/1930 Great Britain ..24/191 [73] Assignee: Waterbury Buckle Company, Waterbury, Primary Emminer Bemard A Ge|ak Conn- Attorney-McCormick, Paulding-& Huber [22] Filed: Nov. 23, 1970 ABSTRACT [2]] Appl' 9l666 A buckle having frame and clamping elements including cooperating side flanges which retain the elements in opera- [52] US. Cl. ..24/191 tive alignment. Notches formed in the flanges of the frame ele- [51] lnt.Cl. A44b11/12 ment receive trunnions associated with the flanges on the [58] Field of Search .....24/170, 191 clamping element to PP" the element Salem] 7 pivotal movement between clamping and releasing positions 56] References Cited relative to the frame element. The two elements are retained in assembled relation by a connecting spring which biases the UNITED STATES PATENTS clamping element toward its clamping position. 906,391 12/1908 Dickson ..24/170 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEUFEB 15 m2 INVENTOR 3 FREDERICK RLEAVENWORTH BUCKLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to belt or strap fastening devices and deals more particularly with an improved buckle for receiving and releasably retaining a free end portion of an associated strap. I

The general aim of the present invention is to provide an improved buckle of simple, durable construction for economical manufacture and for securely holding a strap while exerting relatively light clamping pressure thereon thereby preventing damage to the strap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front view of a buckleembodying the present invention shown attached to one strap end portion and in clamping engagement with another strap end portion.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the buckle and strap assembly ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the buckle of FIG. 1 shown with the clamping member removed therefrom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to the drawing and referring to FIGS. 1-3, a strap fastener or buckle embodying the present invention and indicated generally at is particularly adapted to releasably secure the free end portion of a belt or strap 12 to another member or strap 14. The buckle 10 comprises frame and clamping elements generally indicatedat l6 and I8, respectively. The clamping element 18 is supported on the frame element 16 for generally pivotal movement relative thereto between clamping and releasing positions respectively indicated by full and broken lines in FIG. 2. A connecting member or spring 20 retains the elements 16 and 18 in assembled relation and also serves to bias the clamping element 18 toward its clamping position.

The frame element 16 is preferably formed from sheet metal and includes a base portion defined by a plurality of spaced-apart and transversely extending crossmembers 22, 24, 26 and 28 which connect a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending base flanges 30, 30. The base flanges project outwardly from opposite sides of the central portion. Each base flange 30 has an outwardly opening notch 32 formed therein and transversely aligned with a notch 32 in the other base flange 30 to facilitate assembly of the frame and clamping elements as will be hereinafter evident. Each notch 32 is partially defined by an abutment surface 34 which faces inwardly or toward the base portion of the frame element 16, as best shown in FIG. 2. A portion of the crossmember 28 is turned back or rolled inwardly to define a generally transversely disposed clamping surface 36 inwardly inclined toward the base portion and in the direction of the notches 32, 32, as best shown in FIG. 3. The crossmember 28 also includes a transversely extending edge 38 which is spaced from the clamping surface 36 in the general direction of the notches 32,

The clamping element 18 is preferably also formed from sheet metal and includes a central portion 40 and a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending side flanges 42, 42. which project inwardly from the central portion. The side flanges 42, 42 are disposed between and cooperate with the flanges 30, 30 on the frame element 16 to limit transverse movement of the clamping element relative to the frame element and thereby provides a means for retaining the two elements in operative alignment. Each of the side flanges 42, 42 has a transversely extending trunnion 44 associated therewith and received in an associated one of notches 32, 32. The trunnions 44, 44 are preferably integral to the side flanges 42, 42 and formed by tabs bent outwardly therefrom. A generally transversely extending clamping edge 46 on the central portion 40 is adapted to cooperate with the clamping surface 36 in clamping position to releasably retain an associated portion of the strap 12 therebetween. Preferably and as shown, the clamping edge 46 has a serrated or sawtooth configuration. The central portion 40 also includes a thumb piece 48 for pivoting the clamping element 18 between its clamping and releasing positions.

The connecting member 20 which retains the two elements in assembled relation preferably comprises a transversely elongated spring which is formed from flat spring metal and has a generally Z-shaped cross section, as viewed in FIG. 3. One end portion of the spring 20 is spotwelded or otherwise suitably attached to the crossmember 24. The other end portion of the spring 20 is preferably attached in a like manner to the central portion 40.

The strap 12 is threaded outwardly through the space between the crossmembers 26 and 28 so that a portion of the free end thereof passes between the clamping surface 36 and the clamping edge 46. When the straps I2 and 14 are under tension, the edge 38 engages one portion of the strap 12 and another portion of the strap 12 is releasably retained between the clamping surface 36 and the clamping edge 46. The clamping element 18 cooperates with the frame 16 to releasably retain the strap 12 therebetween in response to relatively light clamping pressure applied by the spring 20. The clamping pressure exerted upon the strap 12 by the clamping element 18 tends to increase when the straps l2 and 14 are subjected to increased tension. The trunnions 44, 44 cooperate with the notches 32, 32 to relieve strain on the spring 20 and prevent distortion thereof under conditions of increasing belt tension. The abutment surfaces 34, 34 prevent the trunnions from being dislodged from the notches 32, 32 when the clamping element 18 is in its clamping position. Due to the configuration of the clamping edge 46 and its associated clamping surface 36, it will be evident that the strap 12 may be readily released from the buckle by applying relatively light pressure to the thumb piece 48.

I claim:

1. A buckle for releasably securing a strap to another member and comprising a frame element including a base portion and a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending base flanges outwardly projecting from said base portion, each of said base flanges having an outwardly opening notch therein transversely aligned with the notch in the other of said base flanges, means on said frame element defining a generally transversely disposed clamping surface longitudinally spaced from the notches in said base flanges, means for attaching said frame element to the other member, a clamping element having a central portion and including a pair of transversely spaced and longitudinally extending side flanges inwardly projecting from said central portion, each of said side flanges having a transversely extending trunnion associated therewith and received in an associated one of said notches to support said clamping element for general pivotal movement between clamping and releasing positions relative to said frame element, said clamping element having a generally transversely extending clamping edge thereon for cooperating with said clamping surface in said clamping position to releasably retain an associated portion of the strap therebetween, means for retaining said clamping element in operative alignment with said frame element, and a connecting member for retaining said clamping element in assembled relation with said base element and for biasing said clamping element toward said clamping position.

2. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flanges on one of said elements are disposed between and cooperate with said flanges on the other of said elements to limit transverse movement of said one element relative to said other element, said flanges comprising said means for retaining said clamping element in operative alignment with said frame element.

3. A buckle as set forth in claim 2'wherein said clamping element comprises said one element and said frame element comprises said other element.

4. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connecting member comprises a spring.

5. A buckle as set forth in claim 4 wherein said spring is further characterized as a transversely elongated generally flat spring member having one end portion thereof attached to said base portion and the other end portion thereof attached to said central portion.

6. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping edge is serrated.

7. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping surface is spaced outwardly from said base portion and inclined inwardly toward said base portion and in the direction of said notches.-

8. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping element is formed from sheet metal and each said trunnion comprises a tab integrally connected to an associated one of said side flanges.

9. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base portion includes a transversely extending edge spaced from said clamping surface in the direction of said notches for engaging an associated portion of the strap when said clamping element is in clamping engagement with the strap.

10. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein each one of said notches is partially defined by an inwardly facing abutment surface outwardly spaced from the bottom of said one notch for engaging an associated one of the trunnions when said clamping element is in said clamping position to retain said one trunnion in said one notch. 

1. A buckle for releasably securing a strap to another member and comprising a frame element including a base portion and a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending base flanges outwardly projecting from said base portion, each of said base flanges having an outwardly opening notch therein transversely aligned with the notch in the other of said base flanges, means on said frame element defining a generally transversely disposed clamping surface longitudinally spaced from the notches in said base flanges, means for attaching said frame element to the other member, a clamping element having a central porTion and including a pair of transversely spaced and longitudinally extending side flanges inwardly projecting from said central portion, each of said side flanges having a transversely extending trunnion associated therewith and received in an associated one of said notches to support said clamping element for general pivotal movement between clamping and releasing positions relative to said frame element, said clamping element having a generally transversely extending clamping edge thereon for cooperating with said clamping surface in said clamping position to releasably retain an associated portion of the strap therebetween, means for retaining said clamping element in operative alignment with said frame element, and a connecting member for retaining said clamping element in assembled relation with said base element and for biasing said clamping element toward said clamping position.
 2. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flanges on one of said elements are disposed between and cooperate with said flanges on the other of said elements to limit transverse movement of said one element relative to said other element, said flanges comprising said means for retaining said clamping element in operative alignment with said frame element.
 3. A buckle as set forth in claim 2 wherein said clamping element comprises said one element and said frame element comprises said other element.
 4. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connecting member comprises a spring.
 5. A buckle as set forth in claim 4 wherein said spring is further characterized as a transversely elongated generally flat spring member having one end portion thereof attached to said base portion and the other end portion thereof attached to said central portion.
 6. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping edge is serrated.
 7. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping surface is spaced outwardly from said base portion and inclined inwardly toward said base portion and in the direction of said notches.
 8. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping element is formed from sheet metal and each said trunnion comprises a tab integrally connected to an associated one of said side flanges.
 9. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said base portion includes a transversely extending edge spaced from said clamping surface in the direction of said notches for engaging an associated portion of the strap when said clamping element is in clamping engagement with the strap.
 10. A buckle as set forth in claim 1 wherein each one of said notches is partially defined by an inwardly facing abutment surface outwardly spaced from the bottom of said one notch for engaging an associated one of the trunnions when said clamping element is in said clamping position to retain said one trunnion in said one notch. 